


How Did You Know?

by pikablob



Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Acceptance, Agender Hilda (Hilda), Coming Out, Friendship, Gen, Gender Identity, Trans Character, Trans David (Hilda), Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29741994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikablob/pseuds/pikablob
Summary: Hilda and Frida help their closest friend find herself.
Relationships: David & Frida & Hilda (Hilda), David & Frida (Hilda), David & Hilda (Hilda), Frida/Hilda (Hilda)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43





	How Did You Know?

It was a warm Friday afternoon; the sun was still high, filling the room with warm light, and for once Hilda was content with not rushing off on an adventure. She was sitting on Frida’s bedroom floor, her girlfriend sitting comfortably beside her, holding her hand. David completed the circle, perched on the side of Frida’s bed. They had planned to have a magic study session, but in the end the trio were just content to hang out.

“Can I ask you two something?” David’s sheepish voice broke the comfortable silence. Hilda looked up; he squirmed a little under her gaze, no longer relaxed, and she couldn't help worrying. She’d been keeping a closer eye on his feelings since the incident with the vikings, and seeing him upset made something cold settle in her gut.

“Sure,” she said quickly. “What is it?” His gaze turned down to the floor.

“Well,” he said awkwardly, “it’s kind-of a strange question…”

“It can’t be that strange,” Frida reassured him, a patient smile on her face. “We’ve seen some pretty strange stuff on adventures.” When the uncertainty didn’t fade from his eyes, her smile dropped, and she added softly; “We won’t be mad, promise.” Hilda nodded in agreement.

“Alright.” David didn’t sound convinced. But he took a deep breath, trying to swallow his fear, and spoke again. “How did you two know you were girls?”

Hilda blinked. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but it definitely hadn’t been that. For a moment she thought over the question; she knew she was a girl, she supposed, because that was what her mum had told her, and everyone else, and that had never really bothered her. It wasn’t really something she’d ever had to _know_.

“What?” she asked. David cringed, and she felt a pang at the look on his face, almost afraid. “What do you mean, know I’m a girl?”

“Like, if someone called you a he,” he explained awkwardly, voice quavering, “that would feel weird, wouldn’t it?”

Hilda thought for a moment; if she was really honest with herself, she couldn’t see why that would bother her. It was just a word, right? She was more used to ‘she’, sure, but the idea of being called ‘he’ or even ‘they’ seemed just as fitting. So she shrugged.

“Not really,” she admitted. David frowned at that, his face scrunching up. Frida glanced between him and Hilda; her girlfriend could see a realisation blooming in her dark eyes.

“It would bother me,” she said gently. “It would just feel weird, because it’s not who I am.” She stood up slowly, her hand slipping from Hilda’s grasp. There was gentle concern in her voice. “Does it upset you when people call you a boy, when they use ‘he’ to talk about you?”

Hilda watched the other two closely. The idea of that bothering someone seemed strange to her, but, she decided, if it was important to Frida and especially to David, then that was what mattered. If David wasn’t a boy, then she would respect that.

David swallowed again, taking a shaky breath. Their hands grabbed at the covers of Frida’s bed, balling into fists. Hilda felt a pang as she saw tears starting to form in her friend’s eyes, and slowly she stood up too, stepping towards them.

David finally nodded. “It’s just, I’ve always felt like something was wrong.” Their voice was shaky, a lump audible in their throat. “Like I was just built wrong, or something. But I’ve realised that wasn’t it… I’m just… it’s…” They trailed off, a few stray tears running down their face. “Oh, cruddlesticks, I can’t explain it!”

“Hey,” Frida soothed, sitting down on the bed beside them. She put one arm over their shoulders, offering gentle reassurance. “I understand.”

“You do?” David asked weakly.

“I’ve done a lot of research on this stuff,” Frida assured. They seemed to relax a little at that.

Hilda closed the distance, wanting to help but feeling uncertainty rear its ugly head. Because she could see how important this was to her friend, how much this all meant, but she had no idea what to say. It felt like she was adrift, with no references to fall back on, and deep down that terrified her.

“I don’t really get it,” she admitted awkwardly, sitting down on the other side of David. “But, I know you know yourself. If you’re not a boy, and being called one makes you feel bad, then I promise I’ll try and never do it again.”

“Thanks, Hilda,” David said quietly, letting the girl reach out and wrap an arm around their midsection. But as she did, Hilda felt another thought force its way to the front of her mind.

“So,” she asked cautiously, afraid of hurting her friend, “if you’re not a boy, then what are you? What would you like us to call you?”

David took a deep breath, reaching up to rub the tears from their eyes. Frida looked over at them, the reassuring smile back on her face.

“Whatever it is, it’s okay,” she reassured. David nodded, and quietly they spoke again.

“I’m not completely sure,” they admitted, taking another shaky breath, “but I think, I think I might be a girl, like you, Frida.” David sniffled again, but she didn’t cry any more. “Can we try that? Can we try using she and calling me a girl and see how it feels?”

“Of course we can,” Frida assured.

“Yup,” Hilda nodded, giving her friend a squeeze. But as she did, a new thought bloomed. “Wait; does this mean you want to change your name?” she asked. “I mean, it’s fine if you want to keep David, you’re still a girl, but it’s also cool if you want a new one.”

David tensed for a moment, before she let out a sigh. “I hadn’t even thought of that,” she admitted. “I was so afraid of telling you guys, and being sure of myself, that it didn’t even occur to me. But, I think I would like to change it; I just don’t have any ideas.”

“We could help you!” Hilda suggested, feeling a swelling of determination. The same feeling sparkled in Frida’s eyes, and she nodded firmly.

“Only if you’re comfortable with it, of course.”

For a moment, David didn’t say anything. Instead she reached out, one arm wrapping around each of her friends and hugging them as tight as she could. She sniffled again, but this time there was no sadness in her eyes; instead, tears of joy and relief ran down her face. Because all her fears were unfounded, and her friends were right behind her.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “You two are the best friends a girl could ask for.”

Hilda smiled at that, leaning into her side. “And you’re the best girl I could ever have as a friend,” she couldn’t help saying. “Now, let’s pick out something that really suits you.”

* * *

“Lucy!” Hilda’s voice split the cold Monday air. Standing beside her, Frida looked up; hesitating at the entrance to the playground, her parents right behind her, was the third member of their group. Her face, still uncertain, lit up at the sight of them.

She looked mostly the same; one weekend wasn’t enough to change much, even if bigger changes loomed on the horizon. The only real difference was that she now wore a dark grey skirt, the same kind as Hilda’s, instead of shorts below her yellow sweater.

But as she turned back to her parents to give them one last hug, then walked out into the schoolyard, the difference was night and day. For the first time since Hilda had known her, Lucy looked truly comfortable in her own skin. She was still a little uncertain, sure, but she was finally being who she really was.

All three fell into a hug as she closed the distance, pulling each other close. For a moment Lucy’s arms were tight around them both, before she let go and stepped back.

“I take it your family were okay?” Frida asked gently. Lucy nodded.

“My dad said he’d already guessed,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, “but I’m pretty sure he just wanted to make me feel better.” She snorted quietly at that.

“So,” Frida continued, smiling warmly, “ready for your first schoolday presenting as who you really are?”

“I think so,” Lucy admitted, still a little hesitant. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Mum and Dad called ahead to the school, so Miss Halgrim already knows; she said she won’t tolerate anyone who doesn’t like it.”

“Neither will we!” Hilda declared, slapping a fist into her palm for emphasis. “If Trevor’s gang or anyone else has a problem with you being a girl, they’ll have to deal with us.”

“Thanks, Hilda,” Lucy replied, a genuine smile on her face.

The school’s bell rung out; it was time to head inside. Hilda and Frida turned, heading for the door. Lucy hesitated for a moment, then fell into step beside them. Whatever worries she may have still had, her friends were determined to be there for her, and that was enough. She could face whatever the day threw at her, schoolwork or adventure, because she was finally herself.

**Author's Note:**

> I put together a quick edit for Lucy's outfit at the end of this fic:


End file.
